There are different types of food and soup across continents and cultures. However, when it comes to high nutritional composition and health benefits, one of the best soups that come to mind is tomato soup.
This article aims at intimating you with everything you need to know about the health benefits of tomato soup.
However, let’s take a look at the fruit before delving into its health benefit.
Tomato
Tomato with the botanical name Solanum Lycopersicum is a fruit often consumed as a vegetable. It is packed with essential nutrients needed by the body for effective functioning. It is a red berry plant that originated from South America and Central America.
Tomato is a fruit, it’s a berry that consists of ovaries and seed. However, it is consumed as a culinary vegetable because of the low presence of sugar in it. The presence of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and other plants compound in tomatoes makes it one of the must-eaten vegetables.
Now to enjoy the health benefits of this amazing fruit, cooking it into soup looks like the best way to make that happen as you really might not enjoy eating it raw.
Here are some of the health benefits of tomato soup. Note that these benefits have been scientifically authenticated.
It is highly nutritious
One of the most nutritious fruit from the berry family is the tomato and it contains every essential nutrient needed by the body for increased metabolism, detoxification, improved blood circulation, healthy vision, and so on.
A typical tomato which is about 182g large has the following nutritional value; 33 grams of calorie; 2g of fiber; 0.4g of fat; 9% of the daily value (DV) of potassium; 7g of carbs; 1.6g of protein; 12% DV of Vitamin K; 28% DV of Vitamin C; 8% DV of Vitamin A.
It also contains carotenoids which are a powerful antioxidant that boost your immune system. The carotenoid is of the variant Lycopene which is the pigment that gives it the bright red color. What’s more, lycopene is more beneficial to health when cooked as heat helps to increase its absorption rate and bioavailability. Hence, cooked tomato soup comes with an excellent proportion of lycopene which can help your immune system to ward off diseases.
Has cancer-fighting potentials
One of the reasons why tomato has become an object of study is its ability to fight cancer. Specifically, tomatoes are effective against breast and prostate cancer. Studies have confirmed that high lycopene intake especially from cooked tomatoes can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Also, lycopene has been earmarked for being a cancer killer as several studies have shown that it can induce the death of cancer cells and also through a process called anti-angiogenesis inhibits tumor growth.
Rich in antioxidants
Tomato is also rich in antioxidants which are useful for detoxifying the body. It composes of a good number of antioxidants which include lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin E, flavonoids, and so on. Oxidants stored up in the body makes the body prone to chronic illnesses such as obesity, cancer, diabetes, and other inflammatory diseases. Tomato soup provides the body with all these nutrients which serve as antioxidants.
Improves bone health
The presence of lycopene also plays an essential role in the regulation of bone metabolism. It can increase bone mineral density hereby, reducing the risk of fracture. Other severe bone diseases such as osteoporosis are preempted from invading the bones by lycopene which is present in tomatoes in large quantity.
Improves healthy skin and vision
There is the presence of beta carotene in tomatoes which protects the skin from sunburn. Also, lycopene can absorb ultraviolet rays hence, preventing the skin from sunburn too. The presence of vitamin A in tomato also suggests its benefit for good vision and eye health. Beta carotene can also be converted into retinol which is also an essential compound necessary for sharp vision.
Has potential for enhancing male fertility
Tomato soup rich in antioxidants which prevent the body from storing up oxidative stress which is also responsible for male infertility. Oxidants in the body can cause porous damage to sperm motility and viability. The presence of lycopene in tomatoes is also a good source of fertility treatment for men.
Immunity boosting benefits
With vitamins like vitamin C and compounds like carotenoid, tomato soup also helps boost your immune system. In fact, in some other climes, it’s a home remedy for fever symptoms such as the common cold.
